1983 Major League Baseball season

1983 MLB season
League	Major League Baseball
Sport	Baseball
Duration	April 4, 1983 – October 16, 1983
Regular season
Season MVP	AL: Cal Ripken, Jr. (BAL) NL: Dale Murphy (ATL)
League postseason
AL champions	Baltimore Orioles
AL runners-up	Chicago White Sox
NL champions	Philadelphia Phillies
NL runners-up	Los Angeles Dodgers
World Series
Champions	Baltimore Orioles
Finals MVP	Rick Dempsey (BAL)

The 1983 Major League Baseball season ended with the Baltimore Orioles defeating the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth game of the World Series. Rick Dempsey was named MVP of the Series. The All-Star Game was held on July 6 at Comiskey Park; the American League won by a score of 13–3, with California Angels outfielder Fred Lynn being named MVP.

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Cal Ripken, Jr., Baltimore Orioles, SS (AL)
  • Dale Murphy, Atlanta Braves, OF (NL)
• Cy Young Award
  • LaMarr Hoyt, Chicago White Sox (AL)
  • John Denny, Philadelphia Phillies (NL)
• Rookie of the Year
  • Ron Kittle, Chicago White Sox, OF (AL)
  • Darryl Strawberry, New York Mets, OF (NL)
• Manager of the Year Award
  • Tony La Russa, Chicago White Sox (AL)
  • Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL)

MLB statistical leaders

American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Wade Boggs BOS .361 Bill Madlock PIT .323 HR Jim Rice BOS 39 Mike Schmidt PHI 40 RBI Cecil Cooper MIL Jim Rice BOS 126 Dale Murphy ATL 121 Wins LaMarr Hoyt CHW 24 John Denny PHI 19 ERA Rick Honeycutt TEX 2.42 Atlee Hammaker SF 2.25 SO Jack Morris DET 232 Steve Carlton PHI 275 SV Dan Quisenberry KC 45 Lee Smith CHC 29 SB Rickey Henderson OAK 108 Tim Raines MTL 90

Major league baseball final standings

American League AL East W L Pct. GB Home Road Baltimore Orioles 98 64 0.605 — 50–31 48–33 Detroit Tigers 92 70 0.568 6 48–33 44–37 New York Yankees 91 71 0.562 7 51–30 40–41 Toronto Blue Jays 89 73 0.549 9 48–33 41–40 Milwaukee Brewers 87 75 0.537 11 52–29 35–46 Boston Red Sox 78 84 0.481 20 38–43 40–41 Cleveland Indians 70 92 0.432 28 36–45 34–47 AL West W L Pct. GB Home Road Chicago White Sox 99 63 0.611 — 55–26 44–37 Kansas City Royals 79 83 0.488 20 45–36 34–47 Texas Rangers 77 85 0.475 22 44–37 33–48 Oakland Athletics 74 88 0.457 25 42–39 32–49 California Angels 70 92 0.432 29 35–46 35–46 Minnesota Twins 70 92 0.432 29 37–44 33–48 Seattle Mariners 60 102 0.370 39 30–51 30–51

National League NL East W L Pct. GB Home Road Philadelphia Phillies 90 72 0.556 — 50–31 40–41 Pittsburgh Pirates 84 78 0.519 6 41–40 43–38 Montreal Expos 82 80 0.506 8 46–35 36–45 St. Louis Cardinals 79 83 0.488 11 44–37 35–46 Chicago Cubs 71 91 0.438 19 43–38 28–53 New York Mets 68 94 0.420 22 41–41 27–53 NL West W L Pct. GB Home Road Los Angeles Dodgers 91 71 0.562 — 48–32 43–39 Atlanta Braves 88 74 0.543 3 46–34 42–40 Houston Astros 85 77 0.525 6 46–36 39–41 San Diego Padres 81 81 0.500 10 47–34 34–47 San Francisco Giants 79 83 0.488 12 43–38 36–45 Cincinnati Reds 74 88 0.457 17 36–45 38–43

Postseason

• World Series: Baltimore Orioles over Philadelphia Phillies (4–1); Rick Dempsey, MVP

	League Championship Series NBC					World Series ABC
	East	Baltimore	3
	West	Chicago White Sox	1
						AL	Baltimore	4
						NL	Philadelphia	1
	East	Philadelphia	3
	West	Los Angeles	1

• American League Championship Series MVP: Mike Boddicker
• National League Championship Series MVP: Gary Matthews

All-Star game

• All-Star Game, July 6 at Comiskey Park: American League, 13–3; Fred Lynn, MVP

Significant events

• April 27 – Nolan Ryan strikes out Brad Mills of the Montréal Expos. It is the 3,509th strikeout of Ryan's career, breaking the long time record established by Walter Johnson. Ryan will go on to break his own record 2,205 times before retiring.
• June 24 – Don Sutton of the Milwaukee Brewers records the 3,000th strikeout of his career against Alan Bannister of the Cleveland Indians.^[1]
• July 24 – In the game now known as the Pine Tar Game, George Brett hits an apparent go-ahead 2-run home run off Goose Gossage in the ninth inning of a game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. However, Yankees manager Billy Martin challenges that Brett's bat had more than the 18 inches (460 mm) of pine tar allowed, and home plate umpire Tim McClelland upholds Martin's challenge. After being called out and having the home run nullified, Brett goes ballistic and charges out of the dugout after McClelland. The AL president's office later upholds the Kansas City Royals protest, restoring the home run, and the game is completed on August 18, with the Royals winning 5–4.
• July 29 – Steve Garvey, first baseman for the San Diego Padres dislocates his thumb, and ends his streak of 1,207 consecutive games played. It is still the National League record for consecutive games played.
• September 28 – The Philadelphia Phillies defeat the Chicago Cubs, 13–6, for the 7000th regular season win in their history to clinch the National League East Division title.
• October 16 – Eddie Murray slams a pair of home runs and Scott McGregor pitches a five-hitter as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5–0 and win the 1983 World Series in Game Five. Baltimore catcher Rick Dempsey, who hit .385 with four doubles and a home run, is the Series MVP.

References

1. Pellowski, Michael J (2007). The Little Giant Book of Baseball Facts. United States: Sterling Publishing Co. p. 352. ISBN 9781402742736.